Marsala, spinach add flavor to chicken

Marsala-Glazed Chicken Roman Spinach With Orzo

Marsala-Glazed Chicken Roman Spinach With Orzo

January 16, 2006|LINDA GASSENHEIMER Knight Ridder Newspapers

Marsala is a fortified white wine named after the town in Sicily where it is made. It does not deteriorate after opening and adds a lot of flavor to food. This recipe calls for a medium or sweet Marsala: however, if you have dry Marsala on hand, use it. Fresh, washed ready-to-eat spinach is used in the side dish. You don't need to add water to the pan when cooking spinach. It has enough moisture in its leaves. Frozen whole-leaf spinach can also be used. If using frozen spinach, cook it without adding water, letting all of the moisture evaporate from the pan The secret to the flavor in this dish is to be sure to drain the spinach once it is cooked. Otherwise, the spinach juice will dilute the flavor of the sauce. Flattening the chicken with the palm of your hand helps it cook evenly. Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta available in most markets. Any small pasta can be substituted. This meal has 680 calories per person, with 25 percent of them from fat. HELPFUL HINTS: Sherry can be substituted for Marsala. COUNTDOWN: Place water for pasta on to boil. Make chicken. Start spinach. Boil orzo. Complete spinach. Wine suggestions: The Marsala wine used in this recipe will give the chicken a tinge of sweetness; I'd try a nice, lush California chardonnay with it. 2 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup flour 2 teaspoons olive oil 3/4 cup medium or sweet Marsala wine Remove fat from chicken. Place plastic wrap over chicken and pound to flatten with the palm of your hand. Add a little salt and pepper to the flour and dip chicken into flour. Coat both sides and shake off excess. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Salt and pepper cooked sides. Add Marsala to pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chicken to individual plates and continue to simmer sauce about 1 minute to reduce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place on plate and spoon sauce over the top and cover with foil to keep warm while you make the spinach and orzo. Makes 2 servings. Nutrition information per serving: 368 calories; 41 g protein; 13 g carbohydrate; 9 g fat; 23 percent of calories as fat; 0.4 g fiber; 108 mg cholesterol; 98 mg sodium 10 ounces fresh spinach 2 tablespoons fat-free, low-salt chicken broth 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons raisins 4 teaspoons olive oil (divided use) 1/2 cup orzo Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Place a large pot of water on to boil for the orzo. Rinse and drain spinach. Place in a large sauce pan, cover and cook 5 minutes, tossing once or twice. Drain and reserve in a bowl. Heat chicken broth in the same pan and add garlic and raisins. Stir for about 30 seconds. Return spinach to pan. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and toss about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, add orzo to boiling water and boil 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon orzo onto individual plates and top with spinach. Makes 2 servings. Nutrition information per serving: 312 calories; 8 g protein; 50 g carbohydrate; 10 g fat; 28 percent of calories as fat; 4.6 g fiber; 0.1 mg cholesterol; 165 mg sodium. QUICK COOKING